TriMet: Crime down 25 percent in 2013

TriMet is reporting that crime on its transit system has dropped 25 percent between 2012 and 2013.

The regional transit agency credits partnerships and a neighborhood approach to crime for the reduction, which was documented in statistics released on Friday, April 25.

TriMet and our Transit Police Division work closely with the police agencies in the jurisdictions that we serve, said TriMet Executive Director of Safety and Security Harry Saporta. This broader community-wide approach increases safety and security not only on our transit system, but in our neighborhoods and on our streets.

According to the statistics:

 On TriMet buses, there was one reported crime in every 255,000 trips in 2013. Reported crime dropped 24 percent from 304 in 2012 to 230 last year.

 On MAX, there was one reported crime in every 91,378 trips taken. Reported crimes on the MAX dropped by 27 percent to 419 in 2013 from 574 the previous year. Most of the incidents involved property crimes such as theft.

 WES Commuter Rail had no reported crimes in 476,879 rides last year, and only one the year before.

Among other things, TriMet credits an increased presence of Transit Police officers on the Westside for a decrease in crime there. The segment with the biggest percentage drop was in Hillsboro, where reported crimes on the MAX system dropped 45 percent, with just one incident per every 359,000 trips. TriMet also installed security cameras on the platforms of six MAX stations in Hillsboro during 2013, which act as a deterrent to those looking to do wrong. The city of Hillsboro saw overall crime drop as well.

TriMet says the Green Line segment from Clackamas Town Center to SE Main St. was the only segment where reported crimes increased, from 48 in 2012 to 52 in 2013, an eight percent increase. The Clackamas Town Center Transit Center, SE Fuller Rd. and two other stations saw crimes drop or remain flat. The four other stations  SE Flavel St, Lents Town Center/SE Foster Rd, SE Holgate Blvd and SE Main St stations saw increases, which mirrors increases in crime in the surrounding neighborhoods.

For all the statistics and more, visit http://news.trimet.org/2014/04/transit-police-strategies-key-partnerships-and-security-tools-increasing-safety-on-trimet-system/